


Charmed 209: Stranger In The Mirror

by Metal_Ox137



Series: Charmed AU2 [9]
Category: Charmed (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-31
Updated: 2016-03-31
Packaged: 2018-05-30 08:54:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6417040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Metal_Ox137/pseuds/Metal_Ox137
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Phoebe returns home, she discovers that her sisters Prue and Piper have given up on witchcraft.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Charmed 209: Stranger In The Mirror

It was the first Saturday of April, and the city of San Francisco was shrouded in its iconic morning fog. Phoebe Halliwell had risen earlier than normal, venturing out into the indifferently inclement weather in order to share breakfast - and a private conversation - with her oldest sister, Prue. As Phoebe entered her sister's apartment, shaking off the dewy chill, Prue's four year old daughter Patience went rushing into her arms.  
"Auntie Phoebe!" she cried joyfully, hugging Phoebe tightly.  
"Hey, my sweet angel," Phoebe returned the greeting. "Did you grow another inch last night?" she demanded, bending over slightly to return the hug.  
"No, Auntie Phoebe, I'm still the same size," Patience assured her.  
"I don't know about that, kiddo. Pretty soon, you'll be taller than me!"  
"Can we go to the park today?"  
Phoebe grinned. "What, you're spending the night with me and Auntie Paige, and you want to go to the park, too?"  
"Yeah!" Patience crowed.  
"Well, tell you what, sweetie. I need to talk to your mommy for a little while. And if you're very good, and let us have some grown-up talk, I'll take you to the park before we go back to my place. Okay?"  
"YAY!" Patience squealed gleefully.  
Dark-haired Prudence Trudeau came out of the kitchen, grinning at the sight of her sister and daughter together. "Hey, Pheebs," she greeted her. "Aren't you early for babysitting?"  
"It's never too early for babysitting, apparently," Phoebe grinned, hanging up her jacket.  
"Would you like some breakfast?"  
"I'd love some."  
The sisters walked into the kitchen, and Phoebe settled herself into one of the chairs at the dinette. An enticing aroma of cinnamon and melting brown sugar lingered in the air. "Oh, man, something smells wonderful," Phoebe sighed.  
Prue grinned. "Fresh apple muffins in about ten minutes."  
"Why did I ever move out?" Phoebe sighed mournfully, and then she grinned. "Darryl's not around this morning?"  
"He's out picking up groceries. He should be back in a little while. Did you want to talk to him?"  
"Actually, I do," Phoebe admitted.  
"About Danny's offer?"  
"Yeah." Phoebe nodded. "But - I'd like to talk to you first."  
Prue poured a cup of coffee for her sister, with liberal doses of both cream and sugar. Phoebe took the mug gratefully.  
"Can I scramble you an egg while we talk?" Prue suggested.  
"That's it, I'm moving back in," Phoebe grinned. "Even if I have to sleep on the floor."  
Prue returned the grin, and quickly pulled out a mixing bowl and whisk from the cupboard. "Things aren't _that_ bad at your place, I hope," she said only half-jokingly.  
"Everything's fine. You just spoil me, is all." She regarded her sister carefully for a moment. "You called me Pheebs just now. You never do that."  
Prue pulled the egg carton and a stick of butter from the refrigerator, then paused to look at her sister. "Well - I haven't, before now," she admitted.  
"And you're doing it now, because - ?"  
Prue set the eggs and butter on the counter. She hesitated for a moment. "Because you're _my_ Phoebe," she said at last, her dusky voice dropping with emotion. "And my heart belongs to you."  
Prue quickly set about scrambling an egg, to quickly hide how much vulnerability she'd just shown to her sister so openly. Phoebe watched her as she worked, momentarily overwhelmed - for a moment, she thought her own heart might burst from sheer joy.  
Patience came into the kitchen, a new coloring book and a box of crayons in her arms. She quickly set herself up in the chair next to her auntie, while Phoebe sipped her coffee, almost swooning with happiness.  
"So, are you here to talk about Paige?" Prue asked quietly, still keeping too much attention focused on the simple task of whisking an egg.  
"Well ... not entirely."  
"How's she doing?"  
"Better," Phoebe said somewhat guardedly. "She's still lower than a snake's belly," she admitted finally. "But, compared to last week - definite improvement."  
"Well, I can only hope she's already hit rock bottom," Prue shuddered. "I'd like to think there's nowhere to go but up, from where she was last week."  
"She's really looking forward to having Patience stay with us tonight," Phoebe offered, as Prue set a small skillet on the stovetop. "When she gets to be the auntie - it really makes her happy. It helps her forget. A little."  
"Babysitting is good therapy, then?"  
"It is," Phoebe answered with all seriousness. "She just loses all the guilt and shame and self-consciousness - and for a little while, I get my baby sister back."  
"You really love her," Prue observed, putting the butter and eggs into the skillet.  
"Almost as much as you do," Phoebe countered.  
"Guilty, as charged," she conceded with a rueful smile. "Did she stay at Henry's last night?"  
"Yeah. They're pretty much joined at the hip now. Which is helping her a lot, actually."  
"When does she go back to work?"  
"This Monday. Mr. Cowan wanted her to take more time off, but she keeps saying that having the job to focus on will help her get through the day."  
"Work can be a blessing, sometimes," Prue nodded thoughtfully. "Although I really have no idea what I'm going to do about my job, when I need to take maternity leave."  
"Well, actually - that was part of what I came over to talk to you about this morning," Phoebe confided.  
"Oh, yes?" Prue raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Tell me more."  
Phoebe took in a deep breath. "Prue - I think I've figured out a way to open the portal to my other world."  
"You can go home?" Prue gasped, momentarily forgetting the eggs.  
"I _am_ home," Phoebe declared empathically. "This is home. I just meant, I think I found a way for us to visit our other sisters. And for them to visit us."  
"Phoebe, that's wonderful!"  
"Don't burn my egg," Phoebe grinned.  
"Oh!" Prue turned her attention back to the stovetop. "So - what does this amazing news have to do with my job?"  
Phoebe set her coffee mug down. "I've been thinking about this for a long time," she said finally. "I don't want to leave any of my sisters. But I can't be in two places at once. Even magic isn't gonna solve that problem."  
Prue sighed. "Demon Phoebe did her work well," she said sadly, spooning the scrambled egg onto a small plate. "As long as the choice wasn't yours, you never had to worry about staying here. You could feel bad, but you could also resign yourself to your fate. But there's no right answer for what you were faced with, Phoebe." She set the plate down in front of her sister. "You just have to remember - none of this was your fault."  
Prue settled down in the remaining free chair at the dinette. "You didn't ask to be kidnapped and dragged to my world. And you certainly didn't ask for Demon Phoebe to put you in a situation where, no matter what you did, someone would get hurt. You're not to blame, Phoebe. Not for any of this."  
"I know," Phoebe nodded. She took up her fork. "Thanks," she added, indicating the egg, and took an appreciative bite.  
"What I'm trying to say is, whatever guilt you're feeling, let it go. It's not yours. You don't have to feel bad about anything you've done by staying here - because all you've done is save my life, and Paige's life, and Darryl's, and Patience too, probably -"  
"You're gonna give me a swelled head, Prue," Phoebe cautioned with a grin, between bites of her egg.  
"But if you've found a way to travel between the worlds any time you want to - then maybe now, you can finally forgive yourself?"  
"I have been kind of blaming myself, huh?"  
"Not kind of," Prue retorted with a smile.  
The oven timer went off, signaling that the apple muffins were ready. Prue got up quickly, and slipped a pair of oven mitts over her hands.  
"So, get back to how this all relates to my job," she suggested, as she pulled the baking tray from the oven.  
"Prue - what would think of the idea of my sisters moving here?"  
"Prue, and Piper, you mean? To visit us?"  
"Not to visit," Phoebe said hesitantly. "To stay. For good."  
Prue left the muffins on the stovetop and returned to the dinette.  
"Tell me what you're thinking," she pleaded, taking her seat again.  
"Even if this new spell works," Phoebe began, somewhat hesitantly, "I - I don't want to spend the rest of my life with one foot in one world, and one in another. I could shuttlecock between realities forever, but in the long run, it solves nothing. Because no matter where I go, I'll always be missing someone." She looked at Prue pleadingly. "I want both my families to be together. And if I'm being honest, this is the world where I want them all to be."  
"So you're thinking of asking Prue and Piper to leave everything and everyone behind in their world, to stay with us, here?"  
"And other Paige, too, if she wants to. Yes."  
Prue sipped her coffee thoughtfully. "You'd be asking a lot of your sisters," she said quietly. "You'd basically be asking them to give up whatever lives they've built for themselves, up to now, and start over from scratch somewhere else."  
"Do you think I'm being completely selfish?" Phoebe asked, frowning with worry.  
"I think you'd do well to examine closely what it is you'd be asking your sisters to give up, on your behalf."  
"I just - I have this fantasy that it all works out," Phoebe confided, warming to the subject. "You would have a Piper to love again. And Prue could cover for you at Buckland's, while you take maternity leave. Come on, Prue think about it, it's perfect," she cajoled. "Who better to run the business during your absence - than _you?"_  
Prue chuckled softly. "That does sound tempting," she allowed. "But what would we offer Prue and Piper, and maybe Paige, in exchange for giving up everything they know, to come here?"  
"Well - "  
"Do you think Prue would feel comfortable, sharing you with me?"  
"Why wouldn't she? I mean, come on, how could she be jealous? You're her, and she's you."  
"That's my point, Phoebe. We're not the same person. Your Prue is her own person. She's had her own experiences, and has her own set of opinions and values. And she might feel a lot less like herself, if she was suddenly living in a world not quite like her own, and where she had a doppelgänger walking around. And once I'm ready to return to work, what does Prue do then?"  
"I - hadn't thought about that," Phoebe admitted.  
"And how about Piper? I would be delighted to have her here, but maybe she's perfectly content with one Prue. I doubt very much that she needs two of us. And how do you think Paige would feel, if there's another one of her? Would she be willing to share you with another Paige?"  
"Well - "  
"Paige loves you. Wholly and unreservedly. I have no doubt of that at all. But right now, that love is a fragile thread, and Paige herself is very fragile. What she needs most of all is a strong sense of self - and self-worth. I doubt she'll have either of those things, if there's a six foot tall, red-headed version of herself running around, to always remind her of everything she's not."  
Phoebe's expression crumpled into dismay. "I would never do anything to hurt my baby sister. Not ever!"  
"I'm not saying you shouldn't ask them to come here. I'm not even saying it couldn't be wonderful. I'm just saying, consider very carefully what could be the outcome of such a decision - not just for you, but for us, and for them. All of us deserve the benefit of your considered opinion."  
She got up to prize some of the muffins out of the tray.  
Phoebe sat for a long time, staring at her coffee mug, feeling helpless. "What do I do, then?" she asked her sister.  
Prue gave Phoebe a reassuring smile, and handed her a warm apple muffin. "What you always do, Pheebs," she said quietly. "Follow your heart."

* * * 

Saturday afternoon brought rain, but inside Phoebe and Paige's Chinatown apartment, all was light and warmth and suffused joy. The sisters had returned from the nearby park, where their niece Patience had spent the better part of the morning playing on swings and slides; following a light lunch, Paige was setting about to make chocolate chip cookies for everyone. As Patience sat in the living room, surrounded by her coloring books and a small mountain of crayons, Phoebe sat on one of the barstools and watched her sister at work.  
Paige was using her ability to move objects with her mind with practiced ease. She noticed Phoebe watching her, grinning, and she ruffed playfully. "What?" She demanded.  
"Look at you," Phoebe beamed. "Last Christmas, you couldn't even crack an egg. Now you've got the eggshells flying into the garbage can without even looking, and stirring batter at the same time."  
Paige reached over and grabbed the wooden spoon that had been pirouetting by itself, and took up the task of mixing batter with her own hands. An opened bag of chocolate chips floated lazily over to the counter in mid-air, and obligingly poured half its contents into the bowl as Paige stirred. The bag then floated down and settled itself on the countertop.  
"It's just practice," she demurred.  
Phoebe took up her mug of green tea and sipped it slowly. "Is Henry spending the night?"  
"He's going to come by later, after we've put Patience to bed." Paige looked at her sister. "You don't mind that he's spending so much time here, do you?"  
Phoebe laughed. "No, I don't mind at all." She gave Paige a reassuring smile. "And I'm so excited for you! My baby sister is gonna get married," she sighed wistfully.  
"We haven't talked about a date yet," Paige pointed out.  
"Well, as long as you're not planning to get married on the exact same day that Prue is, it's probably all right," Phoebe grinned.  
Paige chucked softly, and Phoebe asked, "What's so funny?"  
"I was just thinking - wouldn't it be wild, if Prue and I both got married on the same day?"  
"Now, you're just being naughty," Phoebe laughed.  
"No, seriously, I wouldn't mind sharing the same wedding day with her."  
"I think you're both deserving of a wedding day of your own," Phoebe pointed out.  
"Yeah, and when are _you_ getting married, little Miss When-Am-I-Gonna-Meet-The-Boyfriend?"  
Phoebe laughed again. "You get to meet him tomorrow morning, for breggfirst," she promised.  
"He's not spending the night tonight?"  
"He's on call tonight - but the shift changes in the morning. New crew rotation."  
"I can't wait to meet him."  
"He's looking forward to meeting you, too," Phoebe smiled, and then her expression turned wistful again.  
"What is it?" Paige asked.  
"Paige - when you get married ... do you think ... what I mean is -"  
"Spit it out, Pheeble."  
"Would you mind if I invited my sisters?"  
"Your sisters?" Paige frowned in puzzlement, and then her face lit up as she made the connection. "Oh, you mean Prue and Piper! Sure! I wouldn't mind at all."  
"And would you mind if we invited Paige, too?" Phoebe pressed.  
"The other me?" Paige shrugged. "If she wouldn't think it was too weird, why not? What are you driving at?"  
"Paige - I think I've found a magical way to re-open the portal."  
Paige put the mixing bowl down and gave her sister her undivided attention. "You mean, you can go home," she said quietly.  
Phoebe groaned. "You and Prue are thinking the exact same thing," she remonstrated. "I am NOT leaving you, Paige. This is my home now. But - I think I can arrange for us to visit my world. Or, for my other sisters to visit us here."  
"We can go see Planet Pheeble?" Paige seemed not only interested, but actually intrigued. "We can finally see all these magic miracle phones and other thingamabobs you keep blabbing about?"  
"I think so, yes."  
"Then what are we waiting for?"  
"You'd _like_ to go?" Phoebe was bemused by her sister's excitement.  
"Well, I don't mean I want to stay there," Paige clarified. "But, yeah. I wouldn't mind seeing what the other San Francisco looks like. And I wouldn't mind spending time with our other sisters - as long as my being there wouldn't creep them out, or anything."  
"Well, that's the catch," Phoebe admitted with embarrassment, rubbing the back of her neck as displacement activity. "When I say, I think I can open the portal, what I really mean is, _we_ can open the portal."  
"You mean a power of three spell."  
"And all three of us would have to go, together," Phoebe nodded. "Yes."  
Paige shrugged. "I'm in."  
"Really? You don't mind?"  
Paige looked down her nose at her sister. "Just don't strand me in another world, Pheeble."  
"That's fair."  
"And - just so we're clear - our other sisters _don't_ get to keep you. You're mine now. Mine and Prue's," she amended hastily. "And other Paige absolutely _cannot,_ under any circumstances, have my fiancé. She can go find one of her own."  
Paige grinned, holding up her hand so her engagement ring was prominently displayed.  
"It's beautiful, Paige," Phoebe assured her. "Just as pretty as the last five hundred times I saw it."  
"Sorry," Paige apologized. "It's just - you have to understand, until you showed up, I really didn't have much of a life."  
"That's not true. You were already dating Henry," Phoebe objected. "Long before I got here."  
"Yeah, but - after I met you - it's like -" she searched for the right words. "Everything sort of snapped into place," she said finally. "I found a home. I found my family. And for the first time in a long time, I feel like I really have something to look forward to. The future is something exciting now. Before, I just used to dread it."  
"So, that's a vote for magic, then," Phoebe grinned.  
"I could care less about the magic," Paige declared, picking up the mixing bowl again. "It's a vote for my family. For my sisters." She looked at Phoebe, eyes shining with tenderness. "You saved my life, Pheeble," she said softly. "And I don't just mean last week. Seriously. I feel like my being here means something now. And I have you to thank for that."  
Phoebe bowed her head, feeling very humbled.  
Paige grinned and resumed stirring the cookie batter.  
"Well, I guess that's settled, then," she said, after a time. "So I guess you need to call our sisters, and let 'em know we're coming."

* * * 

Phoebe called her sisters later that same day, and it was quickly agreed upon that the following weekend would be an acceptable time for a visit.  
"Sorry, you can't have your own room back, Phoebe," Piper cautioned. "After Paige lost her apartment, she moved in with us."  
"I guess that's fair," Phoebe conceded. "I have sort of moved out."  
While both Prue and Piper seemed happy to hear that Phoebe was coming for a visit, Phoebe knew only too well that there would be many ruffled feathers that needed soothing over, with both her sisters - and she made it clear to Paige and Prue that she needed to make the most of this opportunity.  
"Especially with Piper," Phoebe sighed forlornly. "I'm going to have to do a _lot_ of groveling with her."  
"Abject groveling," Paige corrected her, and Phoebe couldn't disagree.  
"We're just along for the ride," Prue said with equanimity. "And whatever you need, Phoebe, Paige and I will help."  
The following Saturday morning, Prue left Patience with Darryl, and made her way to Phoebe and Paige's apartment. Their trip was going to be effectively a simple overnight stay, but Prue decided she would feel safer if the rest of her family stayed home - at least for this first visit.  
As the sisters prepared to leave, Phoebe took Prue aside.  
"You're sure you're okay with us?" she asked anxiously.  
"Yes, of course I am, Phoebe."  
"Prue suggested that we visit this weekend, because she knew Andy would be out of town," she said quietly.  
"That was considerate of her," Prue commented with forced nonchalance.  
"She thought it might make you feel bad, or just weird, if you saw someone who looked just like your dead husband."  
"That would be hard," Prue admitted. "I'll have to remember to thank her for that courtesy."  
"Well, there's no guarantee you won't run into Darryl. I mean, the other Darryl."  
"He's not seeing anyone in the family, is he? In the other world?"  
"Not as far as I know."  
"I'll try to keep my hands off him," Prue grinned.  
"And you'll be okay, staying at the manor?" Phoebe pressed.  
Prue gave her sister a reassuring smile. "Are you worried this is going to be traumatic for me, Pheebs?"  
"Well, a little bit. Yeah," Phoebe admitted.  
"It will seem - strange," Prue allowed. "But I'll be fine, I promise." She managed a grin. "I'll have to suppress the urge to swipe a few family photos, though."  
Paige came out of her bedroom, with an overnight case in tow. "All set," she announced, setting her luggage down. She was wearing her nicest black pantsuit with a cream-colored blouse, half-pumps and a simple string of pearls.  
"Wow, you got all dressed up," Phoebe gaped.  
Paige shrugged a little self-consciously. "I'm kind of meeting the family for real this time," she explained. "Last time, I was all covered in blood and _yecch._ This is a chance for me to make a good impression."  
"You look lovely," Prue assured her with a heart-melting smile, and Paige smiled back gratefully.  
"Okay, we may as well get started, then," Prue said to Phoebe, and Phoebe nodded.  
"Okay, you guys, there's basically gonna be two spells we're casting here," she began. "The first will actually open the portal. The second spell will be the power of three spell that carries us across to the other world, and will let us return safely the next day."  
"And you're _sure_ this is gonna be safe for us?" Paige asked bluntly.  
Phoebe grinned. "Once the portal is open, we're going to send a care package first," she explained, hefting a small box of cookies that Paige had baked earlier. "Then we'll do a quick consult on the Sister Phone. As long as the cookies arrive in one piece -"  
"Shouldn't we be sending a canary, or a cat, or something alive?" Paige objected. "I just keep thinking of those bad science fiction movies, where someone steps into some sort of transporting device, and arrives at the other end as a pile of twitching meat."  
"Ugh!" Prue shuddered with revulsion. _"Must_ you?"  
"Sorry. I can't help thinking about it."  
"Guys, if I wasn't absolutely sure this was safe, I wouldn't be doing it," Phoebe assured them.  
She set seven fat candles on the floor in a wide circle, large enough for all of them to stand in, and lit each candle in a clockwise direction. She settled herself in a Sukhasana pose in the center of circle and closed her eyes. _"The wind is the way,"_ she intoned softly, half-speaking, half-singing. _"My heart is the door. I offer my tears, for the water is wide. I offer my blood, for the signpost is blank. I offer up dirt, to pave over the road. I offer my bones, to build up the bridge. I offer my eyes, to let me see my way home."_  
As Phoebe opened her eyes, a glint of eldritch energy reflected in her pupils before fading. A gentle wind sprung up inside the apartment, circling, finally coalescing into a portal.  
"You _did_ it!" Paige gasped in amazement. "You really did it!"  
Phoebe smiled in grim satisfaction. "Take _that,_ demon me," she muttered under her breath, getting to her feet.  
"Okay, sisters," she announced. "Now for our test package."  
She took up the box of cookies and flung it up into the air, towards the vortex. The box was grabbed as if by suction and instantly disappeared.  
A few moments later, the Sister Phone rang, and Phoebe picked up the receiver. "Phoebe's delivery service," she quipped.  
"Yeah, where's our milk?" The voice of Piper Halliwell demanded, and Phoebe laughed delightedly.  
"The cookies came through just fine, then?"  
"Well, if you consider we're eating all of them, probably not. But they arrived in one piece."  
"Okay," Phoebe laughed again. "Then we'll set up the spell to join you. We'll see you in a few minutes."

* * *

A short time later, the Halliwell sisters found themselves standing on the sidewalk on Prescott street, only a few houses away from the manor. Unlike the world they'd just left, a spring sun was shining brightly, and the air was agreeably warm. Prue looked around her, marveling.  
"It's just like I remembered it," she breathed.  
Phoebe watched her sister intently, for any signs of emotional distress, but Prue seemed merely excited.  
"Weren't we supposed to arrive inside the manor?" Paige asked, puzzled. "The cookies did."  
Phoebe shook her head. "I tweaked our arrival point slightly. I thought it would be polite if we at least knocked on the door. Demons barge in without asking. We shouldn't."  
"Which house is ours?" Paige asked.  
Phoebe grinned. "Follow me."  
The sisters ambled up the street, taking a deliberate pace; Phoebe felt her heart pounding with anticipation as she got closer to home. Prue was also feeling excitement, but it was tinged with a sadness for what was. Paige was content to simply look around, never having seen the original neighborhood - or its ruined counterpart.  
"There are so many cars," she commented.  
Phoebe hadn't noticed. "I suppose there are. This San Francisco is a lot more crowded, and a _lot_ noisier."  
"Do I get to try a Pheeble Phone?" Paige asked excitedly.  
Phoebe couldn't help laughing. "I promise, you will. Even if it's only to order pizza, or something."  
They arrived at the steep sidewalk that led up the hill to the manor. Prue and Phoebe both stood transfixed at the sight, but for different reasons.  
"This is it?" Paige asked.  
"This is it," Phoebe affirmed breathlessly.  
"It's nice," Paige decided. "I'm not sure what I was expecting - but it looks seriously cool."  
Prue smiled at her sister. "This is your home, Phoebe. Lead the way."  
As they started to climb the steps, the front door opened, and Piper stepped out onto the porch.  
"You're late," she chided Phoebe playfully.  
Phoebe went rushing into her sister's arms. "Traffic was hell," she passed the joke back, and then hugged Piper tightly, suddenly overcome with emotion.  
As the two sisters remained twined in embrace, younger Prue and taller, red-headed Paige came out to greet the new arrivals.  
The two Prues embraced quickly, but with genuine affection. "Welcome home," younger Prue said simply, and older Prue smiled gratefully.  
"Thank you. It's nice to be here."  
The two Paiges regarded each other with bemusement. Awkwardly, dark-haired Paige offered her hand. "Uhh - Hi. I'm Paige Matthews. Guess you already knew that."  
Shyly, red-haired Paige clasped the outstretched hand and smiled warmly. "Hi. Nice to meet you."  
Openly weeping now, Phoebe finally released Piper long enough to bestow a crushing bearhug on younger Prue, along with a heartfelt kiss on the cheek.  
"Wow," Prue said, when she could finally breathe again. "That's a much nicer reunion than the last one we had, Pheebs."  
Phoebe hugged her older sister again. "They're all going to be this nice from now on," she vowed. "I promise."  
After a prolonged exchange of hugs and greetings, the sisters stepped inside the manor. Older Prue looked around her, clearly struggling with her emotions.  
"Been a while since you were home?" Younger Prue asked with slight trepidation, not wanting to hurt the feelings of her other self.  
"It's - just like I remember it," older Prue said, her voice faltering.  
"You're always welcome here," younger Prue assured her. "This is your home, too."  
Even though in some ways she was speaking to herself, elder Prue was genuinely touched by the gesture. "Thank you," she managed to answer.  
The sisters slowly gravitated into the living room, where they settled onto the couch and surrounding chairs. Phoebe and Piper sat side-by-side, hands clasped; Phoebe rested her head against Piper's shoulder. Piper was obviously pleased by the attention, and the two Prues and two Paiges simply basked in the warmth of seeing the two sisters' affection for each other. Right from the outset, Phoebe was making it clear she was here to salve any old wounds.  
After a moment's hesitation, elder Prue smiled at her doppelgänger. "I have a present for you," she confided, almost shyly.  
"For me?" Younger Prue seemed both genuinely surprised and pleased.  
Elder Prue dug around in her purse, and brought out a small, rectangular box, wrapped in light blue paper and tied up with a delicate ribbon. She handed it to her sister.  
"A snapshot from your alternate life," she explained. "Something for your family album."  
Younger Prue held the box for a long moment, and her other self gently urged, "Go on, open it."  
Prue tore off the wrapping and opened the lid of the box. Inside was a picture frame, five by seven inches, and the photo was of Patience, contentedly licking chocolate frosting for a cake from a large wooden spoon, which she was holding aloft triumphantly, the frosting smeared all over her cheeks. Prue laughed delightedly.  
"A picture of my niece," she almost breathed the words, realizing that a similar fate - and child - might be awaiting in her own future. She smiled at herself gratefully. "Thank you. That was sweet of you."  
The two Paiges were still eyeing one another, no longer with apprehension, but now with something closer to envy. "I wish I looked more like you," dark-haired Paige confided. "You're so ... tall. And I love your hair."  
Red-headed Paige almost laughed. "I was going to say the same about you," she answered.  
"You're kidding, right?"  
"No, of course not."  
Dark-haired Paige made a face. "But - I'm _short,"_ she sighed with exasperation.  
"You're not," red-haired Paige countered. "You have curves. Real curves. I'm just a stick. I'd give anything to have your figure. And to have dark, thick hair like yours ... it's really lovely."  
The same thought occurred to both women at the exact same moment, and they stared at each other with delight, knowing each was considering the same thing.  
"Maybe we could swap," the two Paiges exclaimed in perfect unison.  
To which the other four sisters in the room responded with an empathic, and equally unanimous, "NO!"  
"Whoa," red-haired Paige flinched, startled at the response. "Quadrophonic rejection."  
"There will be NO body-swapping in this house," Piper declared, putting her foot down. "Not having it. It's hard enough to know who's who as it is!"  
"Relax, Piper," red-haired Paige soothed her sister. "It's not like we could do that anyway - now that we've given up magic."  
Phoebe sat bolt upright on the couch. _"What_ did you just say?" she demanded.  
Younger Prue and Piper looked at one another apprehensively.  
"We were going to have to tell her sooner or later," Piper reminded her sister.  
"Yeah. About that," Prue sighed with resignation. "There's no good way to say this, Phoebe, so I'll just put it out there. Piper and Paige and I . . . we had a long talk about this amongst ourselves, and we decided - well, we decided we didn't want to be witches," she said at last. "So we cast the spell to remove our powers."  
"You did WHAT?!" Phoebe rose to her feet, aghast.  
"We gave up our powers, Phoebe," Piper said in a quiet voice.  
Phoebe just stood frozen in place, shocked. "Why?" she asked finally, her voice strangled. "Why would you do such a thing?"  
"Because we wanted to be normal."  
Phoebe collapsed back on the couch as if she had been physically struck, her eyes filling with tears. "No," she shook her head, almost angrily. "No. No. Tell me you're joking. Tell me this is some stupid joke."  
"It's not a joke, Phoebe," younger Prue said quietly. "And this was not some decision we made lightly. I realize this must be hard for you to accept, but -"  
"Hard to accept?" Phoebe's voice was rising in anguish. "Prue, you're a witch. You were _born_ a witch. You can't just stop being a witch, just because you don't want to."  
"We can, and we did, Phoebe," Prue answered evenly.  
"Don't be ridiculous. It's like saying, 'I was born with two legs, but I'd rather hop around on just one.' Why would you _cripple_ yourself? What's _wrong_ with all of you?"  
Elder Prue and dark-haired Paige exchanged a troubled glance; this was not what either of them had expected, either.  
"There's nothing wrong with us," Piper said quietly. "We decided we were tired of demons, and warlocks, and monsters, and constantly being attacked, or having to run, or hide, or fight - especially when this wasn't something we had chosen for ourselves -"  
"How can even _say_ that, Piper?" Phoebe demanded.  
"Phoebe, I have to be honest. I always hated being a witch. For me, at least, it was very easy to give it up."  
"And the more I thought about it, the more I realized, I agreed with Piper," Prue seconded. "You were the only one who really enjoyed it, Phoebe. The rest of us didn't. A demon tried to kill Paige, before she even _knew_ she was a witch - or that she was related to us. So we all decided, together, that we'd be better off without the powers that were making us a target."  
"This isn't right, you guys."  
"According to whom, Phoebe?" Prue shot back. "According to you?"  
"Yes," Phoebe embraced the challenge willingly. "Yes, according to me. I get to see the future, and this is not how things should be. If I was here - "  
"But you weren't here, Phoebe," Prue said quietly. She looked at her sister sadly. She genuinely didn't want to hurt her baby sister, but the truth she was about to speak was going to hurt a lot. "And the truth is, you made the decision to not be here. And that left us with some hard decisions of our own to make."  
Piper's voice was soft, but her point was far more blunt. "You left us, Phoebe. You had a choice to come home with us, and you left us. So don't go telling us you have any right to criticize the decisions that we made."  
Phoebe looked at each of her sisters, anguished, and then abruptly fled from the room, hand over her mouth. A moment later, they heard the front door slam.  
Elder Prue looked over at dark-haired Paige in dismay. "Go after her."  
"On my way." Paige vanished in a cocoon of white light.  
Younger Prue sighed. "She was always so emotional."  
Elder Prue regarded her counterpart solemnly. "I have to say, your decision was a surprise to me. What happened, that made you decide to give up witchcraft?"  
"Are you going to say we shouldn't?" Prue's other self shot back defensively.  
Elder Prue shook her head sadly. "I gave up witchcraft, too," she admitted. "I lost my entire family because of magic. I've always had a hard time seeing the good in it. In fact, if a demon hadn't kidnapped Phoebe and brought her to my world, I probably would never have practiced witchcraft again."  
"You lost your family?" Piper asked, dismayed.  
Elder Prue looked at Piper, her heart breaking to see someone so much like the sister she'd lost. She tried desperately to keep her eyes from filling with tears.  
"I lost my Piper, my Phoebe, my Andy - and several other people I dearly loved," she said, her voice taut with emotion. "All because of magic. So, no, I won't judge you, if you made the decision to give it up. I just want to know why."  
"That was me," red-haired Paige admitted. "I probably started it. I was really getting freaked out. I was hearing all these voices inside my head. I didn't know where they were coming from. I honestly thought I was going insane." She shuddered slightly, remembering. "And then I got attacked by this big, blue guy - who was a demon -"  
"Paige nearly died," younger Prue cut in. "And so, once she recovered enough, we all sat down together, and discussing what kind of future we all wanted. And not one of us saw enough good in practicing witchcraft to stick with it."  
Elder Prue digested this information silently.  
"Aren't you going to try to tell us we're making a mistake?" Piper asked, after several moments of awkward silence.  
Elder Prue shook her head sadly. "As I said. I had given up on magic, too. And if Phoebe hadn't come along, I probably would never have gone back to it."  
"But you did go back to it," younger Prue sought to clarify.  
"There was ... a demon ... threatening Phoebe, and my Paige," elder Prue began haltingly. "And we wouldn't have had any protection against him, without our powers. I had my misgivings. But I accepted that if I was going to protect my sisters, I was going to need to call on every resource I had - including magical ones." She looked at other sisters sadly. "I can't blame you for feeling like there's nothing good to come out of practicing witchcraft. I felt that way myself, many times. Sometimes I still do." She sighed. "Embracing Wicca - truly embracing it - can be incredibly difficult. Respecting the balance, upholding harmony in nature, that's easy enough to say. But in the worlds we live in, that's a lot harder in actual practice. What I keep telling myself is, Phoebe and Paige are alive today, because I made that sacrifice. I try to take what comfort I can from that."

Out on the sidewalk, Phoebe was walking, not sure where she was going, her eyes blinded by tears. Paige materialized beside her and reached for her hand.  
"Whoa, whoa, where do you think you're going?" she asked, gently pulling her sister's panicked flight to a stop.  
Phoebe was still beside herself. "I can't be responsible for this," she cried in anguish. "I just can't. I can't be the only sister in two worlds keeping magic in the family."  
"Come and sit down," Paige pleaded, gently tugging at Phoebe's hand, leading her back to the lowest step on the stairs leading to the manor.  
Phoebe collapsed on the cool stone, completely unaware of the spring sunshine warming her back, or the gentle breeze teasing her auburn hair.  
Paige kept her hand clasped in Phoebe's.  
"Deep breaths, Pheeble."  
Phoebe closed her eyes for a minute, holding Paige's hand tightly.  
"I can't believe they just gave up," she said finally.  
"Magic is scary sometimes, Pheeble," Paige observed quietly. "I had my freak out moments, too. And - if I'm being honest - I'm not sure I would have stuck with it, if it wasn't for you."  
"I can't believe this is happening," Phoebe groaned, resting her head in her hands.  
Paige sat with her sister in silence for a time, letting her absorb the blow. When Phoebe finally straightened up, no longer distraught, she ventured a question.  
"Do you remember what you did, after you brought me home from the hospital?" she asked quietly. "I mean, after I was well enough to stop throwing up, that is."  
Phoebe shook her head tearfully.  
"You sat on my bed, and proceeded to let me know in great detail why I was being such a complete bonehead."  
"I was scared, Paige. You scared the hell out of me."  
"You had every right to be angry with me. But do you remember what you did, after that?"  
"No."  
"You took me to my first AA meeting in months, when I was too scared to go." She smiled gratefully at her sister. "And that one thing meant more to me than anything else you've done."  
She squeezed her sister's hand gently. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, maybe that's what you need to do here."  
"I don't understand."  
"If your sisters are being boneheads, well, you've called 'em on it. But now that you've done that, don't argue with them about it. If you really want them to change their minds, fighting won't fix it."  
"Then what will?" Phoebe asked tearfully. "What do I do, Paige?"  
Paige mulled over her answer carefully before replying. "Make sure you're done crying. Then march back into the house, hug your sisters and tell them how much you love them, and how much you've missed them. That _is_ what you came here to do ... isn't it?" She gave her sister an appraising glance. "Our sisters aren't dumb, Phoebe. They made a mistake. Sooner or later, they'll figure that out. But if they know they always have your love and support, no matter what - then hell, when they finally come to their senses, they might even ask for your help to fix it."  
Fresh tears leaked from the corners of Phoebe's eyes. "I love you, Paige."  
"Yeah, I love you too, Pheeble."  
"You're pretty damn smart, for a baby sister."  
"I have my moments." Paige grinned. "Ready to face the music?"  
"Let's sit here for a moment," Phoebe allowed.  
"All right." As they sat together on the step, a wicked grin crossed Paige's face.  
"Do you think there's another Henry Mitchell in this world?" she asked in a conspiratorial whisper. "I could really use a quickie."  
Phoebe stared at her sister dumbfoundedly for a moment, and then she burst into peals of helpless laughter.

A few minutes later, Phoebe and Paige traipsed up the steps and back into the house. As they entered the living room, Phoebe smiled wanly at everyone.  
"Prue, Paige, would you mind if I had a moment alone with my sisters, please?"  
Elder Prue was bemused, but after a moment, she stood up. "Paige, let's go sit in the atrium for a little while," she suggested.  
"Okay."  
Red haired Paige also stood up to leave.  
"Please stay, Paige," Phoebe said. "I mean, red Paige," clarifying so her other sister wouldn't think she was talking to her. "This concerns you, too."  
After Prue and Paige had left the room, Phoebe settled herself back down on the couch.  
"I want to ask you guys a serious question," Phoebe said, trying to keep her voice from shaking. "And no, this has nothing to do with your decision to give up magic," she added quickly, seeing that both Prue and Piper were getting ready to dig in. "This is something else. Something very important. And I don't need an answer from you now, but this is something I'd like to you to think about."  
The three sisters exchanged puzzled glances.  
"What is it, Phoebe?" Prue asked.  
"I would like to ask you - that is, I'd like you to consider -" Phoebe sputtered, trying to decide how best to frame the question.  
"I want you to come home with me," she said finally. "I would like for you to consider moving to the other San Francisco, and being part of my family there."  
"You want us to go to the other world?" Piper frowned, not sure she'd heard right.  
"Guys, I have this problem. I can't be in two worlds at once. And I don't want to give you up. I love you - all of you. And when I'm away from any of you, it hurts. I can't leave the world I'm in. I made some decisions, rightly or wrongly, that are going to keep me there. What I'm asking you to consider is, come home with me. Be my sisters in the other world. Be a family together."  
She looked at each of her sisters in turn, all of whom had expressions of utter bemusement on their faces.  
"I know this is asking a lot," Phoebe added soberly. "In fact, once you start considering what it really means, you'd have to decide whether you can give up a lot of things. The world I'm in is not like this one. There are many things that are different there - some good, some bad. I think we will need to have many long talks about how to make it work. I can't pretend it wouldn't be difficult. In fact, I think it would be really hard. But I want to make it work. I want my family all together, in one place, with me. As I said, I don't need an answer now. But I would like you to promise you'll think about it - really think about it."  
The sisters looked from one to the other, and each slowly nodded in assent.  
Phoebe turned to Piper. "I also want to ask a favor of you," she said quietly.  
"What is it, Pheebs?"  
"I want you to go over to the other Prue, give her a big hug and tell her how happy you are to finally meet her."  
"Phoebe -"  
"I'm not asking for anything more than that, Piper. Please just do that one thing for me. The rest will take care of itself. She knows you're not her Piper. But you could make her feel so much better, just with that one little gesture."  
Piper nodded solemnly. "Okay. I'll do it," she promised.  
Prue arched an eyebrow at her baby sister. "Is that all?" she asked.  
"No." Phoebe's face broke into a wide grin. "I also want to order a pizza for lunch. Just so Paige - my Paige - can finally get to use a cell phone. She's never seen one. There aren't any cell phones or computers in the other San Francisco."  
"How do you live, then?" Prue asked, utterly amazed.  
Phoebe laughed. "I can't wait to spend the next two days telling you all about it," she assured them. She got up off the couch and did a little dance, her spirits lifted, while her sisters laughed at her ebullience.  
"And now," Phoebe declared happily, "All the Halliwell sisters are finally gathered in one place, _and it's time to get this party started!"_


End file.
